RECESS WITH RESULTS

Have you ever experienced a sleepless night followed by a day when no matter what you ate you never felt full or satisfied? If so, then you have experienced the hormones leptin and ghrelin at work.

Leptin and ghrelin work hand in hand to control feelings of hunger and fullness. Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are full.

So what's the connection to sleep? "When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food," explains Michael Breus, PhD, a faculty member of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and director of The Sleep Disorders Centers of Southeastern Lung Care in Atlanta. The two combined, he says, can set the stage for overeating, which in turn may lead to weight gain. Carrying extra weight also desensitizes us to leptin.

Additional research shows that inadequate sleep (less than 8 hours, although some research says 6):

Interferes with the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates and causes high blood levels of glucose, which leads to higher insulin levels and greater body-fat storage.

Drives down leptin levels, which cause the body to crave carbohydrates.

Reduces levels of growth hormone, a protein that helps regulate the body's proportions of fat and muscle.

Can lead to insulin resistance and contribute to increased risk of diabetes.

Can increase blood pressure.

Can increase the risk of heart disease.

Even in young, healthy people, a sleep deficit of three to four hours a night over the course of a week can have a negative impact on the body. The power of sleep cannot be overlooked. Your health is a combination of many things, not just the food you put in your mouth or exercise. Start with getting a good night’s sleep!

If you missed my article on how to get a quality night sleep, check it out here.

HCAs form in meat when it's cooked at a high temperature. While frying and broiling also produce these chemicals, those charred bits at the edges of barbecued meat contain HCAs in their purest state. HCAs have been shown in animal studies to cause cancer in the stomach, colon, liver, and skin. It's unclear whether HCAs cause the same problems in people. Still, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has stated that the chemicals are "reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens." HCAs are also found in cigarette smoke.

PAHs are formed when juices from meat drip onto coals or other hot surfaces and create smoke. As the smoke swirls around the food, the carcinogens are deposited onto the surface of the meat.

Nobody wants to give up the grill altogether, so what can you do? Here are 8 ways to reduce the chances of producing these two types of harmful chemicals so you can still enjoy your summer BBQs.

Clean The Grill

Cleaning off any leftover charred pieces of food will prevent them from sticking to the food that you are about to prepare. Remove any charred areas on the meat you cook.

Marinate The Meat

Whatever meat you choose, use a marinade made with vinegar or lemon to act as an "invisible shield" that changes the acidity of the meat and prevents PAHs from sticking. Keep the meat marinating in the fridge while you prepare the sides. Marinating meat has also been shown to reduce the formation of HCAs. Precisely why marinades are protective is still under investigation: some evidence points to the acids (vinegar and citrus) or the antioxidant content. Even just 30 minutes in the marinade can help.

Partially Precook Meat

You can partially precook meat in the oven or stove to help reduce the amount of time the meat sits exposed to high heat on the grill and to allow some juices to flow out that might otherwise leak onto the grill and cause flames.

Cook Slow And On Low Heat

To reduce the amount of HCAs and PAHs that end up in and on the meat and to keep burning and charring to a minimum, slow down the cooking time with a low flame.

Cut The Fat

Before the meat is placed on the grill, cut off any visible fat to reduce the flare-ups associated with fat dripping on the flames. You can also cook the meat in the center of the grill and move the coals (if you are using a charcoal grill) to the side to avoid the fat dripping on the coals and causing a flare-up.

Hold The BBQ Sauce

Sugary marinades such as barbecue sauce encourage charring and should be used only during the last one to two minutes on the grill. Or add the BBQ sauce after the meat is removed from the grill.

Wrap It Up

Cooking chicken or fish on or in aluminum foil will reduce the smoke produced by dripping juices. If you prefer, wrap in parchment paper first, then wrap in aluminum foil to avoid having the aluminum come in contact with the food.

Choose Your Grill Carefully

Cooking over natural gas or propane grills can reduce the pollution emitted. Measurements performed by the Department of Energy show that grilling with gas for an hour creates 5.6 pounds of carbon dioxide, while using charcoal to grill releases 11 pounds of carbon dioxide into the environment every hour. While most charcoal you purchase at supermarkets is loaded with chemicals and creates carbon dioxide as it is burned, grilling with real, pure charcoal, known as lump charcoal, does not produce as many emissions. Lump charcoal can be hard to find, but is becoming more readily available as people become more environmentally aware. You may have luck finding lump charcoal at hardware stores, natural food stores, or stores that specialize in grilling equipment. If you own a charcoal grill, using a chimney starter instead of lighter fluid will also keep you from inhaling harmful chemicals.

What about grilling vegetables and fruit?

Unlike in beef, poultry, pork and fish, HCAs and PAHs are not formed when you cook vegetables and fruit on the grill. Plant foods contain a variety of naturally occurring compounds called phytochemicals, many of which provide their own anti-cancer protection.

Wohoo!! I just got back from a week long vacation with some kayaking, hotsprings and beach combing in Tofino, BC. My husband and I had a fantastic time relaxing and getting a little play time away to recover from the daily grind, and now I FEEL ENERGIZED!

While most of us can't take a vacation every month, there is something that we do daily that if done well, can give us a similar Re-Boot or Recovery. It's called QUALITY SLEEP.

By now I think most of us understand why sleep is very important, but if you're still not convinced, here's a few more examples of what can happen if you're not getting enough good z's. If you're having trouble recovering from your workouts, if you always wake up in a fog and feel like you can't think clearly for a good portion of the morning or before that 2nd cup of coffee, or if you've been doing everything right in your health journey as far as diet and exercise and you STILL haven't been able to release the weight..All these issues and more can certainly be related to not getting enough quality sleep.

Do you wake up every morning feeling energized and excited to tackle the day?

If so, that is fantastic. You are probably getting some real quality sleep and may not need to read further. If not, then I'd like to share a few tips below that could help.

1. REDUCE Blue Light Exposure before bed

Blue light inhibits melatonin production. melatonin is a hormone that helps us go to sleep. Sunlight is the main source of blue light, but flat-screen tvs, computer screens, smartphones and other digital devices emit significant amounts of blue light. By limiting use of these items a couple hours before bed, you can greatly increase your bodies melatonin production. Some of you may be saying, yeah right! Easier said than done.. Fret not, another useful tool is to wear "Blue Light Blocking Glasses" 2 hours before bed. These can be found on amazon, and It REALLY works!

2. INCREASE your Blue Light exposure when you wake up.

On the flip side, we want more blue light exposure in the morning to help shut off/reduce melatonin production and regulate our circadian rhythm — i.e. it helps to wake us up for the day ahead. You can help increase your blue light exposure in the morning, or throughout the day with the Philips GOlite Blu which can be found on Amazon etc.

3. Caffeine - Hit it and Quit it!

Numerous studies show that too much coffee consumption and drinking it TOO LATE in the day have a tremendous effect on our circadian rhythms, making it hard for people to fall asleep at night. I'm not suggesting that you have to quit altogether. Instead, try being done with your last caffeinated drink by noon or 1:00 and see what a difference that makes in being able to fall asleep and stay asleep.

4. Bedroom temperature- Keep it cool

Our body temperature tends to go up and down a little during the day. Body temperature starts to fall as bedtime approaches, paving the way for a good night’s sleep. For a restful, uninterrupted sleep, your body should be anywhere from 65-72 degrees Fahrenheit, preferably on the cooler side. If your body heats up too much during the night, you won’t be able to sleep well and it might even wake you up. Adjust the temperature in your bedroom to the cooler side, around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Your temperature will start to rise toward morning, preparing your body for wakefulness.

Wohoo!! I just got back from a week long vacation with some kayaking, hotsprings and beach combing in Tofino, BC. My husband and I had a fantastic time relaxing and getting a little play time away to recover from the daily grind, and now I FEEL ENERGIZED!

While most of us can't take a vacation every month, there is something that we do daily that if done well, can give us a similar Re-Boot or Recovery. It's called QUALITY SLEEP.

By now I think most of us understand why sleep is very important, but if you're still not convinced, here's a few more examples of what can happen if you're not getting enough good z's. If you're having trouble recovering from your workouts, if you always wake up in a fog and feel like you can't think clearly for a good portion of the morning or before that 2nd cup of coffee, or if you've been doing everything right in your health journey as far as diet and exercise and you STILL haven't been able to release the weight..All these issues and more can certainly be related to not getting enough quality sleep.

Do you wake up every morning feeling energized and excited to tackle the day?

If so, that is fantastic. You are probably getting some real quality sleep and may not need to read further. If not, then I'd like to share a few tips below that could help.

1. REDUCE Blue Light Exposure before bed

Blue light inhibits melatonin production. melatonin is a hormone that helps us go to sleep. Sunlight is the main source of blue light, but flat-screen tvs, computer screens, smartphones and other digital devices emit significant amounts of blue light. By limiting use of these items a couple hours before bed, you can greatly increase your bodies melatonin production. Some of you may be saying, yeah right! Easier said than done.. Fret not, another useful tool is to wear "Blue Light Blocking Glasses" 2 hours before bed. These can be found on amazon, and It REALLY works!

2. INCREASE your Blue Light exposure when you wake up.

On the flip side, we want more blue light exposure in the morning to help shut off/reduce melatonin production and regulate our circadian rhythm — i.e. it helps to wake us up for the day ahead. You can help increase your blue light exposure in the morning, or throughout the day with the Philips GOlite Blu which can be found on Amazon etc.

3. Caffeine - Hit it and Quit it!

Numerous studies show that too much coffee consumption and drinking it TOO LATE in the day have a tremendous effect on our circadian rhythms, making it hard for people to fall asleep at night. I'm not suggesting that you have to quit altogether. Instead, try being done with your last caffeinated drink by noon or 1:00 and see what a difference that makes in being able to fall asleep and stay asleep.

4. Bedroom temperature- Keep it cool

Our body temperature tends to go up and down a little during the day. Body temperature starts to fall as bedtime approaches, paving the way for a good night’s sleep. For a restful, uninterrupted sleep, your body should be anywhere from 65-72 degrees Fahrenheit, preferably on the cooler side. If your body heats up too much during the night, you won’t be able to sleep well and it might even wake you up. Adjust the temperature in your bedroom to the cooler side, around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Your temperature will start to rise toward morning, preparing your body for wakefulness.

The effects of regular sprinting on your health, body composition, fitness, strength, and susceptibility to disease are so impressive that it’d be foolish not to add sprints to your routine. There are MANY ways to sprint too. You're not limited to traditional 100 meter track sprints. You can run hills. You can cycle . You can do swimming, rowing and elliptical sprints. You can even get "sprint" gains with heavier resistance exercise, instead of just going faster.

1. It preferentially burns body fat.

Weight loss isn’t just about eliminating any old kind of body mass. It’s about losing body fat while preserving or even gaining muscle and bone. Sprinting is excellent at eliminating body fat without the negative impact on muscle mass commonly seen with excessive endurance training. It also makes you better at accessing fat for energy during other types of exercise.

2. It’s anabolic

Sprinting can increase muscle mass and strength.

3. It lowers high blood pressure.

Overall, sprint training appears to have the most potential of any exercise modality for the long term reduction of hypertension.

4. It builds new mitochondria.

Our mitochondria extract energy from nutrients to produce ATP, the standard energy currency of our body. More mitochondria, more power available to our brain and our body, more fuel burned, more energy produced. It’s a generally good idea to have a healthy abundance of mitochondria, as scientists are constantly trying to figure out how to preserve or increase their numbers because so many degenerative diseases are characterized by malfunctioning mitochondria. Well, sprinting is one way to make more.

5. It even works if you go slowly.

For example, if you go slowly because you’re pushing a heavy weighted sled. This type of "sprinting" is great for someone who can’t run a flat-out sprint because of the impact on their joints. Pushing a heavy sled, or increasing the resistance on your elliptical slows the person down, without making the exercise any less intense.

6. It’s more efficient than endurance training.

Obviously, sprint training takes less time to do than endurance training. But did you know it’s just as effective in many regards in a fraction of the time? Sprinting three times a week (4-6 times per session) was just as good as spending five days a week cycling for 40-60 minutes at improving whole body insulin sensitivity, arterial elasticity, and muscle microvascular density.

7. It works for overweight people.

While sprinting may be most daunting for overweight people, there’s evidence that it is extremely effective in this population. Studies show increased fat burning at rest while decreasing carb burning at rest – exactly what an overweight person needs to achieve to start burning body fat.

We all have slightly different goals for working out. Whether it's to burn more calories so that you can lose weight and feel great, or to get stronger and have more endurance so that you can climb that mountain, or to just be pain free when walking around Greenlake with your grandkids. No matter what your specific motivation is, we all want to perform BETTER. One of the main things that can set us back is PAIN. Pain can have many causes, but the # 1 cause of pain and discomfort is soft tissue related. Meaning your tight muscles, tendons (all of your sliding surfaces) are getting in the way of your body's full range of motion, causing movement restriction/ compensation, and eventually pain.

If you want to take the power into your own hands and get the most out of your workouts you might start working on some of this tissue tightness on your own, so that when you go to workout, you can GET DOWN TO BUSINESS! Here are 3 of my favorite resources for dealing with pain from soft tissue issues.

Contrary to the name, you will not be doing any downward dogs or yoga movement (although I believe this is another great way to work out our tightness). Anyways, this site has anything from quick 2 minute videos to full on 8 hour trainings on how to use self massage on your entire body. I recommend going to the "Pain and Stress Relief" link and clicking the body part/area that is currently giving you the most trouble. From there you can select a short video for just a couple bucks that is going to focus on techniques you can use to relieve that specific area.

I've been watching Physical Therapist, Kelly Starett's Mobility Workout Of the Day for years on Youtube. He is a coach, physical therapist, author, speaker, and owner of a physical therapy practice at San Francisco CrossFit, where he has helped elite athletes work through injuries so they can compete.

If you are serious about improving your performance and reducing pain, I recommend subscribing to his Mobility Workout Of the Day. The Daily MWOD is a 10-15 minute follow-along video where he prescribes mobility exercises for that day and mobilize along with you. If you are seeking specific mobilizations, you can also filter and search for the episodes you need most.